Cashew Cardamom Coconut Cookies

 

Ingredients ( Yield - About 3 dozen little cookies)

1. Butter - 2 sticks or 1 cup, softened
2. Powdered sugar - 1 cup
3. Vanilla extract - 1 tsp
4. All purpose flour - 2 1/4 cup
5. Ground cardamom -  1 tsp
6. Finely chopped cashews - 1/2 cup
7. Shredded coconut - 1/3 cup

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Cream the butter and sugar using a hand mixer. Add the vanilla extract. Blend. Now add the all purpose flour and cardamom. Mix everything until you have a dough. Now add in the cashews and mix until evenly distributed. (I also mixed 2 tbsp shredded coconut with the dough as I love its flavor but that's completely optional).

2. Place the shredded coconut in a shallow dish. Roll small spoonfuls of dough into balls. Now roll the balls in the coconut to coat them. Place the balls on a greased cookie sheet.

3. Bake 20 - 25 minutes until the coconut is toasted. Use oven mitts to remove the cookies from the oven. Let the cookies cool for a couple of minutes in the pan, and then use a metal spatula to transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

 

 

Tips:

If you like coconuty flavor in cookies, you can mix about 2 tbsp shredded coconut with the dough.

Recipe Source - The Year of the Cookie By Rose Dunnington

Bottle Gourd (Lauki) Dal

 

 

  Dal is one of the most important staples in Indian diet. There are many different types of dal in India and it is regularly cooked in one form or the other in almost every homes. Dal recipes are really easy to prepare.  As a protein source eaten with a starchy food like bread or rice and a milk product like yoghurt, dal is a key part of a healthy, well-balanced diet. In this recipe, chana dal (split chick peas, Bengal gram) is combined with bottle gourd ( doodhi, lauki) to give a lightly spiced, nutritious and tasty dish that goes well with chapatis and even rice.

 

Ingredients  (Serves 4 - 5)

1. Lauki / Bottle Gourd - 1 medium-sized, cubed
2. Chana Dal /Bengal gram / kadala parippu - 1/2 - 3/4 cup
3. Ginger - garlic paste -1 tsp 
4. Green chillies - 2, finely chopped
5. Tomato - 1 medium, chopped
6. Cumin seeds - 1 /4 tsp
7. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
8. Chilly powder - 1/4 tsp (optional)
9. Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp (optional)
10. Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
11. Cilantro - 1 tbsp, to garnish
12. Salt - To taste
13. Oil - 2 tsp

Method

1. Soak chana dal in water for at least 1 -2 hrs. Cook chana dal in enough salt, turmeric powder and water till they are soft and cooked but not mushy. It takes around 20 - 25 minutes.

2.Wash the lauki and peel off its skin. Cut it to cubes. Cook them with little turmeric powder and salt in a pressure cooker, for two whistles or until soft.  You can also cook them covered in a vessel with some water until it gets soft. Mash them lightly with the back of a rounded spoon.

 

3. Heat 2 tsp oil in a pan. Splutter mustard seeds, cumin seeds and add the ginger-garlic paste. Sauté for a minute until the raw smell is gone and add the green chillies. Sauté for a few seconds and add  1/4 tsp chilly powder, 1/2 tsp coriander powder and chopped tomatoes. Cook until the tomatoes get mashed up and then add the cooked lauki along with the water in which they were cooked. Boil for a few minutes and add the cooked chana dal. Mix everything well, cook for a few minutes stirring occasionally and switch off. Garnish with cilantro. If you want more gravy, you can add more water and reheat. The gravy tends to get thick after a little while. Serve hot with chapatis or rice.

 

 

 

Tips:

You can cook the chana dal and lauki together in a vessel or a pressure cooker ( for about 1 whistle or until they get soft but not mushy) adding enough salt, water and turmeric powder.

 

Recipe Courtesy - Biji Krishna

Brownies

 

 

These simple brownies are quick, easy to prepare and extremely delicious. I have prepared it many number of times and every time they have turned out great. I tried it from here. I followed the recipe exactly, except that I halved it. I guarantee that you will never go wrong with this recipe!!

Ingredients

 

1. All purpose flour - 1 cup
2. Cocoa powder - 1/4 cup ( I used Hershey's unsweetened cocoa powder)
3. White granulated sugar - 1 cup
4. Butter or margarine - 1/2 cup or 1 stick melted (You can melt it on stovetop( at low heat for about 1 - 1.5 minutes stirring continuously ) or microwave (takes less than 25 - 30 seconds) or double broiler method or at room temperature (takes at least 1 hour ). Allow it to cool slightly before using.
5. Vanilla extract - 1/2 tsp
6. Egg - 1
7. Nuts, raisins, chocolate chunks - Optional

 

Method

 

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.

 

2. Cream butter and sugar. You can either use a hand mixer or a spoon/fork. I used a hand mixer for this step.

 

 

 

3. Now switch to a spoon/spatula and add vanilla extract, egg and mix until smooth. Do not over mix.

 

4. Stir in the cocoa powder and all purpose flour and mix until smooth until there are no lumps. If you are planning to add chocolate chunks, nuts etc, add them now.

 

 

5. Spread in a greased 8 inch pan using a spatula or with your fingers. Bake for 18 - 20 mts at 350 F. Cool completely and cut to  16 squares. Enjoy!!

 

 

Bhindi / Okra / Vendakka Masala

 

 

Bhindi masala is one of my most favorite veggie dish. The okras are stir-fried with an onion-tomato masala mixture to make a very tasty side dish for chapatis and rice.

 

Ingredients (Serves 3)

1. Vendakka / Okra / Bhindi - 25 - 30 
2. Onion - 1 medium, sliced and chopped
3. Tomato - 1 medium, chopped
4. Green chillies - 1 small
5. Garlic - 1 tbsp, finely chopped
6. Ginger - 1 tbsp, finely chopped
7. Green chillies - 2 - 3, finely chopped
8. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
9. Chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
10. Coriander powder - 2 tsp
11. Garam masala - 1/2 - 3/4 tsp
12. Amchur powder - 1/4 tsp
13. Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp
14. Salt - To taste
15. Oil - As required

Method

1.  Wash the okras well and pat dry. Cut the okra to half lengthwise and then slice each halves again. Keep aside.

 

2. Heat 2 tsp oil in a non-stick pan. Stir in the okra slices and stir-fry until they are done (this is done to prevent them from getting slimy. You can skip this step and add them after step 3 ).  It would not take more than 10 - 12 minutes at medium heat. Transfer to a plate and keep aside.

3. Heat 2 tsp oil in the same pan at medium heat. Splutter cumin seeds and add ginger, garlic and green chillies. Stir for a minute and add sliced onion and little salt. Stir-fry until the onions turn lightly brown. Now add the chopped tomatoes. Cook for two minutes. Add turmeric powder, chilly powder, coriander powder, garam masala and amchur powder.

4. Stir in the cooked okra. Mix everything well and stir-fry for a few minutes until dry. Switch off. You can garnish it with fresh chopped cilantro. Serve hot with chapatis or plain rice.

 

 

Caramel Custard - Two Versions and Our 150th Post!!

Wish you all a very happy and prosperous Diwali!!

 

We are extremely happy and excited to share our 150^th post today. Thank You dear friends for your support and encouragement!! To tell the truth, I didn’t even notice it until yesterday so I do not have anything really exciting to share with you all. But I do have these really simple and super yummy caramel custard recipes. The first one is the basic caramel custard recipe. The second version with a chocolatey-coffee twist is for all those people who are put off by the eggy flavor and smell of the basic custard. The addition of cocoa powder and coffee makes it much tastier and flavorful than the traditional recipe. It has already been tested by few of my friends who absolutely loved it. It’s really worth a try friends!!

 

1. CARAMEL CUSTARD

 

 

 

 

Ingredients

1. Milk (whole milk or 2 % ) - 1.5 cup ( I used 2 %)
2. Eggs - 2
3. Sugar - 1/2 cup + 3 tbsp
4. Vanilla extract - 1.5 tsp

Method

1. Heat a saucepan at medium heat. Add 3 tbsp sugar and 1 tbsp water. Shake the pan slightly, but do not stir, until all the sugar has melted, for about 8 - 10 minutes. Stir the sugar as it begins to bubble and  slowly  change color. Remove from heat when it turns to a golden brown color. Pour the caramel into 3 ramekins or in deep oven-safe bowls, tilt  to spread the caramel evenly over the bottom of the ramekins. The caramel will harden in a few seconds. Keep aside.

 

2. Whisk egg and sugar in a sauce pan or any bowl. Then add vanilla essence and milk. Whisk well. Strain through a fine-meshed sieve and pour into ramekins, over the caramel syrup. Place the ramekins in a cake pan or any oven-proof pan which is partially filled with warm water.

3. Bake at 350 F for 40 - 45 minutes or until the center is firm but slightly wobbly. Cooking it too long will result in a tough rather than tender custard. Cool down to room temperature. Keep in the refrigerator for 2-3 hrs or until serving. To unmould, run a knife along the sides of the ramekins. Place a plate or any serving dish upside down over the ramekin. Now holding tightly, invert the dish and ramekin together. Now lift the ramekin slowly. If it does not come out, you can shake the ramekin gently to loosen the custard. Caramel syrup will run down on the sides of the custard, forming a yummy sauce. Enjoy!!

 

 

 

 

2.  CHOCOLATE-COFFEE CUSTARD

 

Ingredients

1. Milk (whole milk or 2 % ) - 1.5 cup ( I used 2 % milk)
2. Eggs - 2
3. Sugar - 1/2 cup + 3 tbsp
4. Vanilla extract - 1.5 tsp
5. Strong Coffee - 2 tbsp (Mix 1.5 tbsp instant coffee powder with 2 tbsp hot water. Keep aside to cool.)
6. Cocoa powder - 1 tbsp

Method

 

1. Heat a saucepan at medium heat. Add 3 tbsp sugar and 1 tbsp water. Shake the pan slightly, but do not stir, until all the sugar has melted, for about 8 - 10 minutes. Stir the sugar as it begins to bubble and  slowly turn to a golden brown color.  Remove from heat. Pour the caramel into 3 ramekins or in deep oven safe bowls, tilt  to spread the caramel evenly over the bottom of the ramekins. The caramel will harden in a few seconds. Keep aside.

 

2. Whisk egg and sugar in a sauce pan or bowl. Then add vanilla essence and milk. Whisk well. Add 2 tbsp strong coffee and 1 tbsp cocoa powder. Whisk well again. Strain through a fine-meshed sieve and pour into ramekins, over the caramel syrup. Place the ramekins in a cake pan or any oven-proof pan partially filled with warm water.

 

3. Bake at 350 F for 40 - 45 minutes or until the center is firm but slightly wobbly. Cooking it too long will result in a tough rather than tender custard. Cool down to room temperature. Keep in the refrigerator for 2-3 hrs or until serving. To unmould, run a knife along the sides of the ramekins. Place a plate or any serving dish upside down over the ramekin. Now holding tightly, invert the dish and ramekin together. Now lift the ramekin slowly. If it does not come out, you can shake the ramekin gently to loosen the custard. Caramel syrup will run down on the sides of the custard, forming a yummy sauce. Enjoy!!

 

 

 

Chilly Chicken

Ingredients

For the batter

1. Boneless chicken, preferably thighs - Around 400 - 500 gm, cubed
2. Corn flour - 1 tbsp (I used Argo corn starch)
3. Egg - 1
4. Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
5. Salt - As required

For the gravy

1. Onion - 1 small, diced
2. Bell pepper - 1 cup, diced
3. Garlic - 1.5 tbsp, finely chopped
4. Green chillies - 4, slit
5. Red chilli powder - 1/4 tsp
6. Pepper powder - 1/4 tsp
7. Spring onions - 1 + 1 tbsp
8. Cashews - 10 - 12
9. Chili-garlic sauce - 2.5 tbsp
10. Soy sauce - 1.5 tbsp
11. Vinegar - 2 tsp
12. Sugar - 2 - 3 pinches
13. Corn flour - 1 tbsp mixed in 1/4 - 1/2 cup water, for thickening the gravy ( I used Argo corn starch)
14. Chicken Stock / Water - 2 - 2.5 cups
15. Salt - To taste
16. Vegetable oil - For deep frying
17. Vegetable oil / sesame oil - 1 tbsp

Method

1. Clean, wash and cube the chicken thighs. Combine them with 1 tbsp corn flour, beaten egg, pepper powder and salt. Deep fry in oil until brown, at medium heat. Drain on to a paper towel. Keep aside.

 

2. Heat 1 tbsp sesame oil or vegetable oil (you can use the oil that was used for deep-frying the chicken pieces) in a wide pan at medium heat. Stir in the chopped garlic, green chillies. Saute for two seconds and add the cashew nuts. Saute for a few seconds and add the diced onion. Saute for a few seconds and add the diced bell pepper and 1 tbsp spring onions. Saute for a few seconds and add 1/4 tsp chilly powder, 1/4 tsp pepper powder, 2 - 3 pinches of sugar, chili-garlic sauce and soy sauce. Add 2 - 2.5 cups of chicken stock / water.

 

3. Bring it to a boil and add the vinegar and fried chicken pieces. Mix well and cook for a few more minutes. Check for salt. Add the corn flour dissolved in water little by little, stirring well, till the sauce thickens. I used around 1.5 - 2 tbsp. If you want a really thick gravy simmer it for a few more minutes. Switch off. Garnish with chopped spring onions. Serve hot with fried rice or noodles.

 

 

 

Notes:

 

1) If you want dry chilly chicken, you need not add corn flour in water. Or else you can boil the gravy until the chicken gets coated well with the sauces.

2) You can substitute chili-garlic sauce with green chilly sauce or red chilly sauce.

 

Recipe adapted from VahRehVah.com

Adamanga Achar /Dried Mango Pickle

 

  This is one recipe that is surely going to bring nostalgic memories to at least a few malayalees. Most of the homes in Kerala used to prepare adamanga during the mango season so that it could be relished upon even when the season was over. Once the best mangoes are pickled, the next thing that people did was drying of raw mango slices, which is fondly called adamanga. Raw mangoes are sliced with their peels on, mixed with salt, chilly powder(optional) and dried in the sun for about 10 -12 days. They can be preserved for at least 2 years or so. You can make pickle with them whenever you want. It’s taste is completely different from the regular mango pickles and it goes best with steamed rice and curd.

Ingredients

1. Adamanga / dried mango slices - 1 handful or around 20 - 25 slices
2. Garlic - 12 - 15 (Slice the garlic flakes if they are large)
3. Curry leaves - 1 sprig (optional)
4. Chilly powder - 1 tbsp (Adjust it according to your spice tolerance)
5. Fenugreek powder / uluva podi - 1/4 tsp
6. Hing / asafoetida - 1-2 pinches
7. Gingelly oil /  nallenna - 1 tbsp
8. Dry red chilly - 1 - 2
9. Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
10. Salt - To taste

Method

1. Wash the adamanga and squeeze out the water. In a pan heat 1 tbsp gingely oil. Splutter mustards and fry dry red chilly. Add the garlic and curry leaves, if you are using them. Brown the garlic flakes.

 

2. Add chilly powder, fenugreek powder and hing. Add about 2 cups of  water immediately. Bring it to a boil and add the adamanga pieces. Cook the adamanga pieces in the gravy for around 30 - 45 minutes until they become really soft. The spice powders should really coat the adamanga pieces (pirandirikkanam). Switch off the stove. Cool down and transfer to a pickle jar. Enjoy it with curd rice or plain steamed rice. Remember to use a clean and dry spoon every time you take out pickle from the jar.